There was a time in my life time when a major mode of contact with friends and family that weren't nearby was by phone. Most homes had one phone that was stationary and connected to the wall. It cost us more money to call some people 20 miles away so thise in particular were a priority. All calls were a priority. They were shorter, they didn't happen as frequently. But we took them.
We had to carry change if you were away from home and needed to call, Or you'd call collect. When we were away at school we called collect or saved money for a phone card.
I'm saying this because a phone call was something we didn't take for granted. We bought big bulky machines at a point, to record messages that were left if we weren't home to answer. Those few short messages we played, short messages and sometimes detailed messages but you always took time to listen and absorb what was said by whoever was calling. Mom, Dad, grandma, granddad, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends or extended family. It was there and tangible. You could save the little tapes, i did. You could replay them if needed. I even had to take time at the start of my work day to listen to voicemails that were left through the night. To be prepared for my day.
It wasn't as private, anyone in the house could hear the messages that were left. But you left them because that call was valued and what you had to say was important to you and whoever you were calling.
We stopped writing letters sometime in my youth. We don't even send personal emails anymore. The point is we take these communications for granted.
The skill of communication is almost gone. The skill of writing is almost gone. Knowing how to communicate a message concisely and quickly is gone. All because we all have these contraptions we all carry that makes it so convenient to reach anyone in the world at anytime. we ignore calls, don't check voicemails and we even get irritated by a call because they didn't text.
I suppose we are too busy. Even though everything in our lives make everything so easy so quick so disposable, we don't have time for anything.
We waste words, we waste opportunities to say something to someone all because we are convinced we can do it later.
Well one thing will never change no matter how advance anything gets. We all have limited time. To share, to talk, to see each other even though this little brick in our pocket lets us even look at each other while we talk yet we find it so intrusive and a bother.
A lot of you know nothing different, but it wasn't that long ago none of this was available.
Take my word for it. You have time. Don't assume you know what the call is about. Don't assume it's not important. Don't assume you'll have another chance. A chance to help, a chance to solve a problem or a chance to have a laugh. That call could be the last you get from that person.
You can still say no to whatever is being asked. But you have time to be asked. Believe me there will come a time when you wished you could have said i don't have it. I don't have time. No i don't want to do that.
But you might, just might, have wished you answered that call. Heard that voice.
All I'm saying is pick up the god damn phone. Take my word for it.